MoveOn.org sent me the following plea today: 

Rep. Alan Grayson has been a progressive champion and a leader in fighting for strong health care reform. Let's help him win re-election with a donation to his one-day fundraiser. Can you chip in $20? 

Not a chance. 

Congressman Grayson is a loud mouth whose harsh rhetoric fuels the natural distain so many Americans have for the political process. Good politicians are those who lift up a positive vision for the future. Bad politicians – no matter their political leanings – are those who seek simply to tear people down. 

Many have said that Alan Grayson is the Democratic answer to Joe Wilson, the S.C. Republican who yelled “You Lie!” at the president during his health care speech to Congress. Those folks are right. And America would be better off without people like Grayson and Wilson in Congress. 

Sorry, Moveon.org. You’re not getting any money from me.

Joe Lieberman has announced that he will not vote to stop the filibuster of any for a health care bill that contains the public option. He justifies this position by saying that a government-run health insurance option will cost taxpayers and increase the National Debt even though the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) forecasts $100 billion in savings thanks to the public option. He further claims that his position is what is best for his constituents, even though polling in Connecticut shows that among likely voters 68 percent favor a public option, while only 21 percent oppose it.

Now is the time for Senate Democratic leadership -- Senators Reid, Schumer, and Durbin -- to stop making excuses for Joe Lieberman. Harry Reid has shown great leadership in writing a health care bill that includes the public option. But Joe Lieberman is not "with us" on everything but the war. Joe Lieberman's position is against Senate Democrats, against his constituents in Connecticut and against the will of the American public.

Actions must have consequences. Any senator who filibusters the public option does not deserve a chairmanship and should be removed from his or her post.

Click here to sign the petition.

We stand closer to passing meaningful health care reform than at any other time in our nation's history.  Both the House and Senate are ready to vote on bills that - while not perfect - would represent real change.  Tens of millions of Americans would benefit and the accomplishment would stand alongside the great achievements of the New Deal and the Great Society.  

That's why today I wrote U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Portland) to congratulate him on his role in moving this legislation forward.

Some progressives will find fault with the House and Senate versions of reform and will argue, for example, that we need a single payer system or nothing at all.  Truth be told, I wanted a single payer system myself (as President Obama had advocated for in the past) but the political reality is that the reforms backed by the president today stand the best chance of advancing the cause of universal health care and if we miss this chance it may be a generation or longer before we have another.  We cannot fail.

In the Christian tradition, we are called to heal the sick.  I urge all people of faith - regardless of politics - to join in common cause with people across America in the coming weeks and months to get the House and Senate bills passed so that sometime soon, perhaps even before Christmas, the president of the United States has a strong reform package on his desk that provides hope to millions of our brothers and sisters.   

Related Link:  Letter to President Obama On The Public Option

On Facebook?  Join the group People of Faith for a Strong Public Option in Health Care Reform

Related Link:  Health Care and The Christian Tradition

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We're pretty much ready for the hoards of child who will soon descend on our house. Frances and Katherine got their costumes back in the summer.  They've been ready for months.

The Yes on 66 and 67 message on Liz's pumpkin refers to two ballot measures Oregonians will consider this January.  

The Oregon Center for Public Policy reports:

A Step Toward Balance

Measures 66 and 67 move Oregon closer to a tax system based on ability to pay

Today, low-income Oregonians pay a larger share of their income in state and local taxes than wealthy Oregonians. In fact, the highest-income Oregonians pay the lowest share of their income in state and local taxes. In addition to raising needed revenue, Measures 66 and 67 begin to address this imbalance.

Facing a revenue crisis brought on by the recession, the 2009 Legislative Assembly enacted two measures that will raise $733 million in new revenue in the 2009-11 biennium.^[1] The modest tax increases on corporations and wealthy Oregonians helped avoid deeper cuts in education, health and human services and public safety than those already made to address a projected $4 billion shortfall in General Fund revenues.

One well-established principle for judging a tax system is whether revenues are raised based on the ability of taxpayers to pay the taxes.^[2] Oregon’s tax system — all state and local taxes combined — currently fails that test, but the two revenue measures enacted by the 2009 legislature take Oregon one step closer to having a tax system based on ability to pay.

Measures 66 and 67 are a step toward a balanced tax system

After accounting for the deduction of state income taxes on federal tax returns, the lowest-income Oregonians currently pay 8.7 percent of their income in taxes, the highest share among all income groups. Middle-income Oregonians pay 7.9 percent. The wealthiest 1 percent — households with income in excess of $410,000 and averaging over $1 million — pay only 6.1 percent of their income toward state and local taxes.^[3]

By 2013, both revenue measures will be fully implemented. Several changes aimed at ameliorating the fiscal crisis brought on by the recession — to avoid additional cuts in public services — are only temporary, and these will have expired.^[4]

When Measures 66 and 67 are fully implemented, Oregon will have made some progress toward a tax system based on ability to pay. The lowest-income Oregonians will still pay the same 8.7 percent of their income in state and local taxes, but the share will increase for those at the highest levels of the income scale.^[5] For the wealthiest 1 percent, for example, state and local taxes will increase from 6.1 to 6.6 percent of their income. For the next highest 4 percent of taxpayers, taxes will increase from 7.0 to 7.1 percent of income. These slight changes for those at the top 5 percent of the income scale constitute a small but important step toward making our tax system better based on ability to pay.

The Yes on 66 and 67 campaign has been endorsed by Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and many others.

Click here to learn more about the campaign.

Rev. Chuck Currie's Blog | United Church of Christ Leaders Hail Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act.

The White House announced today that first daughters Sasha and Malia Obama have been given the H1N1 vaccine.  Our daughters, Frances and Katherine, have been given the vaccine as well.  In this pandemic - that is targeting children, the young and those with serious health problems - it is important that we all get the vaccine once it becomes available.  Liz and I will take the vaccine when it becomes available to lower risk populations.  Like the president and First Lady, we know from the CDC and others that the vaccine is safe for most (see the CDC web site for more).  To not take the vaccine puts many in danger.  We won't take that risk for our family and believe it is in the best interests of the community as a whole to have as many people take the vaccine as possible.

Do We Have A Moral Responsibility To Take The H1N1 Vaccine? Yes.

It isn’t every day you get mentioned in a book (at least not for me) but the pages of Bill Donahue’s “Secular Sabotage: How Liberals Are Destroying Religion and Culture in America” is the last place I wanted my name published. 

Donahue is the president of the Catholic League, a far right political group that has designated itself as the watchdog and protector of Catholicism in America. 

 You might remember him from his comments in 2004 speculating as to whether or not Mel Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ” would win an Academy Award. Frank Rich reported at the time:  

Will it be the Jews' fault if "The Passion of the Christ," ignored by the Golden Globes this week, comes up empty in the Oscar nominations next month? Why, of course. 

"Hollywood is controlled by secular Jews who hate Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular," William Donohue, president of the Catholic League, explained in a colloquy on the subject recently convened by Pat Buchanan on MSNBC. "It's not a secret, O.K.?" Mr. Donohue continued. "And I'm not afraid to say it. That's why they hate this movie. It's about Jesus Christ, and it's about truth."

Donahue also took part in a series of events – Justice Sundays - put on by the Religious Right during the Bush Administration to promote then-President Bush’s judicial nominations. As I noted in 2005, at one appearance: 

 Donahue…called for a Constitutional amendment that would require a unanimous vote of the Supreme Court to overturn any decision of Congress. He spoke wildly against civil rights for gays and lesbians. 

You can see where we might disagree theologically and politically. 

Donahue mentions my name in a chapter of his book that assails Democrats in general and attacks the Clergy Leadership Network, a short-lived group of national religious leaders that formed in 2004 to oppose much of the Bush Administration’s policies. 

The group‘s executive director, The Rev. Brenda Peterson, was tapped by the Democratic National Committee to serve as the religious outreach coordinator in the run up to the fall election between Bush and John Kerry. At the time, Donahue unleashed a viscous attack on Rev. Peterson, a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) minister, which questioned her moral values and patriotism. 

Donahue sent out a press release at the time that noted Peterson’s ties to CLN and CLN’s ties to me. As he writes in the book now:

Incredibly, the CLN website also had link to an anti-Catholic site, Chuck Currie’s blog, which featured a piece titled “When Catholic Girls Go Wild” and to MoveOn.org, a left-wing group that has nothing to do with religion. 

The actual title of my post was: 

When Catholic Girls Go Wild (or "Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Collaboration of Men and Women in the Church and the World") 

It was a satirical title from a post that reviewed a document released by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now the Pope) attacking feminism. 

Cleary, I have a different theological perspective than official Roman Catholic Church teaching on many issues - such as the rights of women – but on many other issues – such as poverty, war and peace, and climate change – I deeply admire the Roman Catholic Church for their advocacy. My entire career has been spent in partnership with Roman Catholics working on issues where we have been able to find common ground. 

But I’m not the only person Donohue finds anti-Catholic. As I’ve mentioned, he has issues with gays, lesbians, Jews and all Democrats. He also has issues with many other Roman Catholics. In fact, he devotes an entire chapter of his book to attacking other Roman Catholics.

That prompted John Gehring of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good to ask on The Washington Post's blog On Faith: Why is Bill Donohue angry ... again? 

Donohue makes righteous indignation and throwing rhetorical bombs into an art form. He is about as subtle as a fist in your face. If you are looking for reasoned and sensible analysis turn on PBS, Donohue seems to snarl. His latest depiction of cultural doom probably elicits a yawn from most religious Americans who are not obsessed with the bogeymen of multiculturalism, secularism, homosexuality and Hollywood hedonism that Donohue rails against with a bullying style. 

Everyday in our churches, mosques and synagogues people of faith gather humbly to pray for wisdom, compassion and justice. We give public expression to this faith by comforting the sick, welcoming the strangers among us and seeking peace in a world torn by violence. We lobby Congress to pass health-care reform, fix a broken immigration system and address global climate change as profound moral issues. Even on difficult issues, we reject culture-war showdowns by encouraging pro-choice and pro-life elected officials to find common ground and reduce abortions by increasing support for pregnant women, expanding adoption opportunities and preventing unintended pregnancies. 

It's a shame, if unsurprising, that the media regularly turns to Donohue for a "Catholic view" on issues. While Donohue's bluster makes for sensational television, he rarely raises his voice to speak about issues at the heart of Catholic social teaching. While the U.S. Catholic bishops' 2008 election-year statement on political responsibility emphasized a consistent ethic of life tradition that recognizes torture, unjust war, the death penalty, genocide, racism and poverty as "direct assaults on innocent human life," Donohue is uncharacteristically mute on these points. Abortion is not the only "life issue" for Catholics. As Auxiliary Bishop Gabino Zavala of Los Angeles told Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne, Jr. last year: "We are not a one-issue Church...but that's not what always comes out." 

We live in an age where the shrillest voices often drown out sober debate and thoughtful insights. Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh watch their ratings soar with every outrageous remark. Bill Donohue gets invited on TV because he bellows and bloviates with the best of them. While some enjoy the antics, most of us are tired of the noise machine. Faith and reason are not enemies, but together can help illuminate our path through the dark forests of fear, ignorance and injustice. Sometimes we just need to turn down the volume and tune out the shouters to find our way.

Watching Bill Donohue go wild is never a pretty sight.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made it official today and announced that he would move a health care reform bill to the senate floor that includes a public option - with an opt-out for those states that decide through a legislative process that they wish not to participate.  The Washington Post reports:  

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) announced Monday that he will seek to bring a health-care bill to the Senate floor that includes a government insurance plan, a major reversal from just two weeks ago, when Reid was leaning against the idea. 

He also called for the bill to include a version of the so-called public option with an clause that would allow states to decide by 2014 not to participate in the government plan. 

"The best way to move forward is a public option with the opt-out provision for states," Reid told reporters, adding that he "clearly" believes that such a bill would have "the support of my caucus."

The White House offered a strong statement of support (via Politico):

“The President congratulates Senator Reid and Chairmen Baucus and Dodd for their hard work on health insurance reform. Thanks to their efforts, we’re closer than we’ve ever been to solving this decades-old problem. And while much work remains, the President is pleased that at the progress that Congress has made. He’s also pleased that the Senate has decided to include a public option for health coverage, in this case with an allowance for states to opt out. As he said to Congress and the nation in September, he supports the public option because it has the potential to play an essential role in holding insurance companies accountable through choice and competition."

This is not the clear cut victory progressives have hoped for but it is a step forward - a huge step forward - and I believe fully that we wouldn't have come this far and changed the majority leader's mind if it hadn't been for the strong advocacy efforts of progressives everywhere.  

Religious leaders from across the country have been particularly active and there efforts should be noted.

There is still a lot of work to do.  Both the House and Senate need to pass bills (the House bill should include a stronger public option and that gives us even more political leverage).  So don't stop working now.  Write your Senate and House members - even if you've done it before - and tell them to send a bill to the president's desk that includes a public option.

Rev. Chuck Currie's Blog | Hate Speech Hurts: Take Action For A More Civil Society.

Portland City Commissioner Randy Leonard should be applauded for his recent comments concerning the death of James Chasse. As one of the clergy who participated in Mr. Chasse’s memorial, I have been appalled at how the city of Portland has handled this issue. I urge the city to settle the case immediately without further review or study. Then-Mayor Tom Potter acted appropriately at the time in calling for additional training for police officers on how to successfully interact with people suffering mental illness but for far too long the Police Bureau and the City Council have dragged their feet by hiding the city’s guilt in the death of Mr. Chasse behind bureaucratic walls. Mayor Sam Adams and the council should take ultimate responsibility for the malpractice of injustice inflicted on Mr. Chasse by the Portland Police Bureau.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid appears to be moving toward including a public option as part of the senate's health care reform package.  The New York Times reports:

After more than a week of deliberations, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, is leaning toward including a government-run insurance plan in a health care bill he will soon take to the Senate floor, Democratic senators said Thursday. 

Mr. Reid’s intentions, which are subject to change, reflect a calculated gamble that all members of his party would vote for the public insurance plan if it included some mechanism for states to opt out. 

Mr. Reid and other Senate Democratic leaders were headed to the White House late Thursday afternoon for a hastily called meeting, where Mr. Reid was expected to ask President Obama to help secure the needed votes.

A clear majority of Americans support the public option and religious leaders from across America have been calling on Congressional leaders to include the option in the final bill that gets sent to the president.

The United Church of Christ, with over 1.1 million Americans across the United States, including Oregon, has called for reform that includes: 

 - Coverage for all people 

 - Access regardless of ability to pay 

 - A full set of comprehensive benefits 

 - A choice of physicians and other providers 

- Elimination of racial and ethnic and other health care disparities 

- Waiver of pre-existing condition exclusions without age limits 

 - A robust public health insurance option

Related Link:  Letter to President Obama On The Public Option

On Facebook?  Join the group People of Faith for a Strong Public Option in Health Care Reform

Related Link:  Health Care and The Christian Tradition

With poll numbers showing strong support for a public option in health care reform the Speaker of the U.S. House seems to be holding firm in her support.  Politico reports:

Speaker Nancy Pelosi appears to be moving forward with the more liberal version of House health care bill that would peg optional government-run coverage to Medicare, according to two people familiar with the decision.

The speaker is set to unveil her final version of the House bill in a member meeting Tuesday night. Moderate and conservative Democrats, particularly those from rural states, are expected to object vehemently, so the decision won't be final until she convinces enough of her rank-and-file to support it.

"There's no question that the robust public option always scores better," Pelosi told reporters after she emerged from a two-hour leadership meeting Tuesday afternoon. "It has enormous savings. There are other considerations, and that's what we'll be talking to our members about." 

According to preliminary numbers, the final bill would cost around $870 billion over the next 10 years - coming in under President Barack Obama's $900 billion target - and cover 96 percent of those Americans who qualify for coverage. The plan wouldn't add to the deficit over its first decade, but it's less clear about the second 10 years.

The legislation still raises the bulk of the funds through a surtax on individuals who make more than $500,000-a-year and families who bring in more than a $1 million annually.

Senate leaders are still working with the White House on their final bill.

You can contact Speaker Pelosi and show your support for a strong public option here.  Senate Majority Leader Reid can be contacted here.  Make sure your voice is heard.

Related Link:  Letter to President Obama On The Public Option

On Facebook?  Join the group People of Faith for a Strong Public Option in Health Care Reform

Related Link:  Health Care and The Christian Tradition

Photo credit: http://speaker.house.gov

This Sunday I'll be preaching at 11am 10 am at Forest Grove United Church of Christ. If you're in the area come by. More information on the congregation can be found at: http://www.fgucc.org.

A new book from Transition Projects here in Portland:

This book confronts homelessness by asking formerly homeless persons a simple question: Where did you sleep? Although we should not have been surprised, we found the replies alarming, jarring and discomforting. 

In the spring of 2007, we asked the residents of Transition Projects shelters to show us the places they slept while living on the streets. Equipped with just disposable cameras and the willingness to show us their truth, they delivered the photographs in this book in a matter of days. The project was intended as a temporary exhibit, but we quickly realized that this project needed to be memorialized for a wider audience. And we heard from the public—even from people who have long been associated with homeless issues—that these photographs tell, in a way that words cannot, about the need for a safe place to sleep for everyone. We determined then that the photos must live on in a permanent form, and so this book was born. 

This project was organized by Transition Projects, a social service agency whose mission is to serve people's basic needs as they transition from homelessness to housing. We have memorialized the photos and essays into this book to commemorate this 40th year of the agency's operations. 

"There's a starkness-a sense of dehumanization and otherworldliness captured by these photographs that expresses the alienation that the chronically homeless feel on a daily basis. The most basic thing we can do to help the homeless is to reach out to them and acknowledge them as fellow human beings. The worst thing we can do is pretend that they don't exist." -Ted Wheeler, Multnomah County Chair 

Where I Slept features contributions from: 

• Portland Mayor Sam Adams
• Hon. Jeff Cogen
• The Rev. Chuck Currie
• Hon. Nick Fish
• Hon. Deborah Kafoury
• Gretchen Kafoury
• Governor Ted Kulongoski
• Hon. Randy Leonard
• Erik Sten
• Hon. Ted Wheeler
• And many others

Get your copy here.

The first edition of Where I Slept is sponsored by Windermere Real Estate.

I encourage every Portland area resident to get a copy of this book.  Back in the mid-90s I served on the staff of Transition Projects.  Purchasing this book will support a good cause.

Support for a public option as part of national health care reform is growing, according to a new poll:

As Democratic congressional leaders and White House officials work to shape health care bills that will go to the House and Senate floors, a new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that support for a government-run health plan to compete with private insurers has rebounded from its summertime lows and now wins clear majority support from the public.... 

On the issue that has been a flash point in the national debate, 57 percent of all Americans now favor a public insurance option, while 40 percent are opposed. Support has risen since mid-August, when a bare majority, 52 percent, said they favored it. (In a June Post-ABC poll, support had been at 62 percent.

The United Church of Christ, with over 1.1 million Americans across the United States, including Oregon, has called for reform that includes: 

 - Coverage for all people 

 - Access regardless of ability to pay 

 - A full set of comprehensive benefits 

 - A choice of physicians and other providers 

- Elimination of racial and ethnic and other health care disparities 

- Waiver of pre-existing condition exclusions without age limits 

 - A robust public health insurance option

Send a message today to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid letting him know that only a strong public option will meet President Obama's health care goals and provide the coverage all Americans need.

Related Link:  Letter to President Obama On The Public Option

On Facebook?  Join the group People of Faith for a Strong Public Option in Health Care Reform

Our friend The Rev. Meredith Anderson is in Portland this weekend with her soon-to-be husband Mike.  Here's a picture of them with Frances and Katherine. They're in Oregon for a wedding and stayed with us a couple of days. Meredith and I attended Eden Theological Seminary together and she was a BIG help to us when the twins were born. It was great to see her and meet Mike!  Meredith is now the associate pastor of Grace United Church of Christ in Two Rivers, WI.

Oregon's Earl Blumenauer is profiled today in The New York Times:

WASHINGTON — Representative Earl Blumenauer should be experiencing the most fulfilling days of his more than 35 years in public service.

The liberal Democrat from Portland, Ore. — known for his bowties, his Trek bicycle and a pragmatic brand of progressivism — embraced Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy early in 2008 and campaigned hard alongside him, steadily gaining confidence that the young senator from Illinois was the ideal liberal remedy to eight years of conservative dominance.

Now political reality has set in, testing Mr. Blumenauer’s faith that Mr. Obama’s election and big Democratic majorities in Congress would yield quick advances in the progressive agenda.

Instead of forging ahead, Mr. Blumenauer, 61, finds himself fighting to retain one of the touchstones for liberals this year, a public insurance option in the health care overhaul, and is watching his hopes of curbing global warming grow cold in the Senate. Mr. Blumenauer, a seven-term congressman, is bracing for a tough vote on sending more troops to Afghanistan while he frets about the detention facility at Guantánamo Bay remaining open.

“It has been a hard landing for a lot of the people that I represent,” Mr. Blumenauer, referring to his largely liberal constituency, said as he assessed the first months of the Obama administration.

Full story.

(Note: this last hyperlink comes from this blog and not the NTY story.  I just count myself as one of the people the congressman represents and we were together when he endorsed Barack Obama in 2008).

Bigitory and hate have a name (s):

Reps. John Shadegg (Ariz.), Paul Broun (Ga.), Trent Franks (Ariz.) and Sue Myrick (N.C.)

Politico has the story:

In an unusual announcement this morning, four conservative Republicans — Reps. John Shadegg (Ariz.), Paul Broun (Ga.), Trent Franks (Ariz.) and Sue Myrick (N.C.) — formally asked the House Sergeant at Arms to launch an investigation of the Center for American-Islamic Relations. They accused CAIR, a non profit group, of trying to infiltrate Capitol Hill with interns and staffers. 

Shadegg said Wednesday that CAIR is an organization that “members of Congress should be aware of and that should be investigated by the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service.” 

And the response from CAIR? "We would love to help people find jobs on Capitol Hill," said Ibrahim Hooper, the communications director for CAIR. "There's a Muslim Staffer Association. Should they be investigated?" 

The proclamation from the four Republicans came in advance of a book, entitled "Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld that's Conspiring to Islamize America," which includes a forward by Myrick. The author of the book, Dave Gaubatz, an anti-Islam activist who wrote last year that “a vote for Hussein Obama is a vote for Sharia Law.” 

The lawmakers also released a one page "strategy" document they said they obtained from CAIR. But the document basically lays out a fairly straight forward public relations and lobbying strategy and indeed, one of the goals is "placing Muslim interns in congressional offices" and registering people to vote. 

Hooper ridiculed the claims.

"All they can come up with is that we are political active?" Hooper asked. "The terror threat is that Muslims are politically active?" 

Democrats weren’t amused by the accusations, and Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.) said she was “appalled” by the situation. 

“I urge the rest of my colleagues to join me in denouncing this witch hunt, which is clearly intended to create fear and distrust in our Capitol Hill community,” Sanchez said in a statement.

I'd like to call for an investigation into why voters sent such hateful souls to serve in Congress.

From CNN:

(CNN) -- President Obama was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday.

The first African-American to win the White House, Obama was praised by the Norwegian Nobel Committee for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

"Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future," the committee said. "His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population."

The committee also said Obama has "created a new climate in international politics.

This is a great honor not only for the president but also for the United States.  President Obama's efforts on many fronts - the start withdrawal of troops from Iraq, efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons, and his willingness to use his office to promote peace around the world - all make him a great choice.

Update: President Obama: “I will accept this award as a call to action." An appropriate and humble statement from the Nobel Peace Prize winner.

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
___________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                          October 9, 2009

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
ON WINNING THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

Rose Garden

11:16 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning.  Well, this is not how I expected to wake up this morning.  After I received the news, Malia walked in and said, "Daddy, you won the Nobel Peace Prize, and it is Bo's birthday!"  And then Sasha added, "Plus, we have a three-day weekend coming up."  So it's good to have kids to keep things in perspective.

I am both surprised and deeply humbled by the decision of the Nobel Committee.  Let me be clear:  I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations. 

To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.

But I also know that this prize reflects the kind of world that those men and women, and all Americans, want to build -- a world that gives life to the promise of our founding documents.  And I know that throughout history, the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes.  And that is why I will accept this award as a call to action -- a call for all nations to confront the common challenges of the 21st century.
     
These challenges can't be met by any one leader or any one nation.  And that's why my administration has worked to establish a new era of engagement in which all nations must take responsibility for the world we seek.  We cannot tolerate a world in which nuclear weapons spread to more nations and in which the terror of a nuclear holocaust endangers more people.  And that's why we've begun to take concrete steps to pursue a world without nuclear weapons, because all nations have the right to pursue peaceful nuclear power, but all nations have the responsibility to demonstrate their peaceful intentions.

We cannot accept the growing threat posed by climate change, which could forever damage the world that we pass on to our children -- sowing conflict and famine; destroying coastlines and emptying cities.  And that's why all nations must now accept their share of responsibility for transforming the way that we use energy.

We can't allow the differences between peoples to define the way that we see one another, and that's why we must pursue a new beginning among people of different faiths and races and religions; one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect.

And we must all do our part to resolve those conflicts that have caused so much pain and hardship over so many years, and that effort must include an unwavering commitment that finally realizes that the rights of all Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security in nations of their own.

We can't accept a world in which more people are denied opportunity and dignity that all people yearn for -- the ability to get an education and make a decent living; the security that you won't have to live in fear of disease or violence without hope for the future.

And even as we strive to seek a world in which conflicts are resolved peacefully and prosperity is widely shared, we have to confront the world as we know it today.  I am the Commander-in-Chief of a country that's responsible for ending a war and working in another theater to confront a ruthless adversary that directly threatens the American people and our allies.  I'm also aware that we are dealing with the impact of a global economic crisis that has left millions of Americans looking for work.  These are concerns that I confront every day on behalf of the American people. 

Some of the work confronting us will not be completed during my presidency.  Some, like the elimination of nuclear weapons, may not be completed in my lifetime.  But I know these challenges can be met so long as it's recognized that they will not be met by one person or one nation alone.  This award is not simply about the efforts of my administration -- it's about the courageous efforts of people around the world. 

And that's why this award must be shared with everyone who strives for justice and dignity -- for the young woman who marches silently in the streets on behalf of her right to be heard even in the face of beatings and bullets; for the leader imprisoned in her own home because she refuses to abandon her commitment to democracy; for the soldier who sacrificed through tour after tour of duty on behalf of someone half a world away; and for all those men and women across the world who sacrifice their safety and their freedom and sometime their lives for the cause of peace. 

That has always been the cause of America.  That's why the world has always looked to America.  And that's why I believe America will continue to lead.

Thank you very much.

END                                                     
11:22 A.M. EDT

New York City has launched an effort to close the so called "gun show loophole" that allows people to buy firearms without a back ground check.  Watch the video:

   

For more information on this issue visit the Brady Campaign to Reduce Gun Violence.

Related Post: God, Guns & American Violence: Turning Weapons Into Ploughshares

Just heard this Tracy Chapman song and loved it...

 

Encouaging news from The LA Times:

Despite months of outward ambivalence about creating a government health insurance plan, the Obama White House has launched a behind-the-scenes campaign to get divided Senate Democrats to take up some version of the idea for a final vote in the coming weeks.

President Obama has cited a preference for the so-called public option. But faced with intense criticism over the summer, he strategically expressed openness to health cooperatives and other ways to offer consumers potentially more affordable alternatives to private health plans.

In the last week, however, senior administration officials have been holding private meetings almost daily at the Capitol with senior Democratic staff to discuss ways to include a version of the public plan in the healthcare bill that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) plans to bring to the Senate floor this month, according to senior Democratic congressional aides.

Among those regularly in the meetings are Obama's top healthcare advisor, Nancy-Ann DeParle; aides to Reid; and staff from the Senate Finance and Health committees, both of which developed healthcare bills.

The measure that goes to the floor will be an amalgam of the two committees' bills, put together by Reid and key Democrats. The health committee bill contains a national government plan; the finance committee version does not.

Obama has also been reaching out personally to rank-and-file Senate Democrats, telephoning more than a dozen in the last week to press for action.

Keep up those calls to the White House and Congress.

h/t Live Pulse

Related Link:  Letter to President Obama On The Public Option

On Facebook?  Join the group People of Faith for a Strong Public Option in Health Care Reform

The recall effort to oust Portland Mayor Sam Adams has failed but organizers, like a bad movie sequel, are promising another effort – this time backed by big money and paid signature gatherings. There’s always been more bravado from the Recall Sam Adams organizers than accomplishments but it’s time to end this effort, plain and simple. 

Along with many others, I called on Mayor Adams to resign earlier this year. He didn’t and the Attorney General’s office, after an investigation, found no cause to bring criminal charges against the mayor. Portland would have been better off had the mayor stepped aside but he didn’t, no criminal charges were brought forward because of his conduct, and now the recall effort has failed. 

Portland needs to put this chapter behind us so that the city can move ahead without the distraction caused by Mayor Adams. He is to blame in all this mess. But he can be held accountable if he chooses to run for reelection in 2012. He would do the city a great favor to announce now that he won’t be a candidate then, but if he is there will be an opportunity to put this matter to rest once and for all. 

In the meantime, our energy needs to be focused as a community not on the mayor’s personal conduct but on the great challenges facing our great city. Poverty and homelessness are growing, we facing funding issues in our public schools, unemployment is high, and as the stewards of Portland’s special environmental landscape we face major challenges. 

It’s time to move forward as a united city to address these important issues.

Ralph Nader, as The Oregonian notes, was in Portland this week to promote his new book.  Back in the late 1990s we shared a stage together at American University to talk about homelessness and like many I admired him.  But Mr. Nader said in 2000 that there was no difference between George W. Bush and Al Gore. It was a lie and Mr. Nader's campaign was a contributing factor in Mr. Bush's victory. The damage that President Bush caused on so many fronts was caused, in part, by Mr. Nader's ego driven campaign. His legacy is the Bush presidency.  The damage Mr. Nader has caused our nation outweighs any good on his part.

If you're concerned about gun violence in America this news from The Washington Post will lift your spirits:

A new report from a national coalition of mayors urges President Obama to adopt dozens of reforms to help curb gun violence, including steps to crack down on problems at gun shows and the creation of a federal interstate firearms trafficking unit. 

The "Blueprint for Federal Action on Illegal Guns," a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post, presents 40 recommendations that "would dramatically improve law enforcement's ability to keep guns out of the hands of criminals -- and, in doing so, save innocent lives." 

The strategies outlined by the Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a bipartisan group of about 450 mayors nationwide, focus on the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The agency, which has been sent a copy of the report, declined to comment. 

"Implementing these recommendations would achieve a goal that all participants in the gun debate support: enforcing laws already on the books," says an accompanying letter signed by the coalition's co-chairmen, Mayors Thomas M. Menino (D) of Boston and Michael R. Bloomberg (I) of New York. 

According to the report, hard work by ATF field agents has "been undermined by congressional restrictions, inadequate resources, and a lack of leadership from federal officials in Washington." 

The proposed changes could be accomplished within existing laws through agency reforms, regulatory moves and better funding, the report said. The strategies grew out of academic and government research, an analysis of firearms prosecutions and talks with government and law enforcement officials.

The NRA is always saying we need to enforce the laws America already has on the books before enacting new gun control measures.

Just how long it will take for them to change their tune now that 450 mayors are advocating just what the NRA has called for.

Related Post: God, Guns & American Violence: Turning Weapons Into Ploughshares

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